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成人 (chéng rén) — (noun) adult; (verb) to become an adult; to grow up

Definition

Both a noun ('an adult') and a verb meaning 'to reach adulthood'. The verb is more formal/literary than 成年, and more abstract than 生长 — it marks a life-stage transition, not physical growth.

noun
adult
verb
to become an adultto grow up
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 成人。
    chéng rén Yǒu zì jǐ de zé rèn hé quán lì.
    Adults have their own responsibilities and rights.
  • 成人，。
    Zuò wéi yí gè chéng rén, nǐ yào xué huì zì jǐ jiě jué wèn tí.
    As an adult, you need to learn to solve problems on your own.
  • 成人。
    Tā shí bā suì nà yì nián yǐ jīng chéng rén le.
    He had become an adult at the age of eighteen.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

成chéngbecome
人rénperson

The first part means to become, and the second means person, so the word refers to growing into an adult.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
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